Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said that nearly 2,000 people have been arrested since the protests began. Most of them are teenagers. He also spoke of recovering compensation from the parents of those accused of property damage.
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Student protests rock France, 2,000 arrested
Due to the protests, nearly 400 high schools were closed on Friday, about one-tenth of the country's total high schools. Education Minister Edouard Geffray called on parents to prevent their children from taking part in street protests.
The movement, which began in the Paris region last week, later spread across the country. Students are expressing anger over various problems, including overcrowded classrooms, teacher shortages and dilapidated buildings. They allege that the education sector has not received adequate investment for a long time.
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As violence increased in Friday's protests, some students decided to stay away from the movement. However, Interior Minister Darmanin claimed that ‘outsiders’ had infiltrated the protests.
Meanwhile, in the government's proposed 2027 budget, it has been proposed to increase the allocation for the education sector by 1.7 percent to 65.53 billion euros. The report noted that because this increase is lower than inflation, dissatisfaction in the education sector could grow further.
Source: Reuters